• 2015 - Recycle Rush
• 2014 - Aerial Assist
• 2013 - Ultimate Ascent

The varsity Sport for the Mind™, FRC combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams of 25 students or more are challenged to raise funds, design a team "pand," hone teamwork skills, and build and program robots to perform prescribed tasks against a field of competitors. It's as close to "real-world engineering" as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. Every year, every robotics team from around the United States, Canada, and other countries builds a robot to play a predetermined game using a standard "kit of parts" (issued to registered teams each January), a limited set of materials, and a little ingenuity and elbow grease. With this robot, the team travels to Regional Events, competing against one another in a fun, friendly atmosphere. Based on their performance at these competitions, teams may qualify to attend the Championship Event. While the activity name seems to imply that the competition should be the main focus of FRC participants, FRC actually places an emphasis on "gracious professionalism," a phrase meaning acting in a manner that would make one's grandmother proud. Teams may face each other in qualifying and elimination matches, but that does not preclude them from offering their potential opponents assistance in programming a robot, building a new part, or repairing a damaged one. Reflecting this spirit, at FRC events, awards are given out not only to the winners, but to teams who have best demonstrated gracious professionalism, sportsmanship, and other notable qualities. A full listing of awards that can be won can be found here.

FTC is designed for students in grades 7-12 to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition as well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments. The FIRST Tech Challenge is a junior level of FIRST 's engineering "challenges", and is performed on a similar basis, but on a smaller scale than its bigger pother, FRC. FTC is similar to FRC in that it uses powerful components, but the playing environment of FTC (the field and robots) is much smaller. The ultimate goal of FTC is to reach more young people with a lower-cost, more accessible opportunity to discover the excitement and rewards of science, technology, and engineering. The FIRST Tech Challenge grew out of the existing FIRST Robotics Competition and the IFI Robovation platform. FIRST, RadioShack, and Innovation First collaborated to develop an improved version of the IFI Robovation kit.

FIRST LEGO League is a miniature version of FIRST robotics meant for younger students. Participants build and program a robot using the Lego Mindstorms kit. The members of Team 461 act as mentors to our LEGO League teams. Every year, middle and junior high school students ages nine to 14 are given the opportunity to design, build, and program a robot using LEGO picks, sensors, motors, and gears. This gives the team members hands-on experience in basic engineering and computer programming. FIRST LEGO League International, consisting of several different tasks to be completed by each team's LEGO robot, gives a new challenge out every year. Each team has two minutes and thirty seconds to make their robot do as many tasks as possible, with each task worth a predetermined number of points. An award is given to the top-scoring team, as well as to teams who excel in other categories. FIRST LEGO League is a fast-growing event. As of 2009, there were 14,600 teams participating in almost 500 FIRST-sanctioned tournaments all over the world. These competitions culminate in the FIRST LEGO League World Festival, held in conjunction with the FIRST Robotics Championship Event in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Georgia Dome.

Whenever there is a program that greatly affects its members and participants, it draws attention. FRC and all of FIRST is no doubt one of those examples. This program has changed kids' lives, but how? Although this question has been asked more times than anybody cares to count, we've further beaten the dead horse and we asked some of our FRC Team member's the age-old question, “How has FIRST affected you?” :

FRC Robotics has taught me how to reach out to the community. Before I entered, I had a terrible fear of public speaking, and robotics has helped get me over that fear.

Salonee Darbari, Programming Lead

Prior to my entry, I lacked any self-discipline. Through FRC Robotics I have gained the work ethic and backbone I never had.

Leslie Ochoa, Safety Captain

FRC Robotics has given me a social life. I'm the gaming and computer type, so before this I didn't really get out much. Robotics has gotten me out of the house and friends because it always keeps me busy.

Christian Perry, Programming Member

In FRC Robotics, I have been appointed the co-captain of my team, 5012. In this position I have gained many of the skills and qualities that define a good leader.

Javier Serna, Team Co-Captain

With these few personal accounts, it is obvious that FIRST and FRC has impacted each of its members in ways greater than any other extra-cirricular program can. These students have and will continue to experience wonderful things in this program, and through this program have gained knowledge, memories, and gracious professionalism.

• 87% of Sophmores and Juniors Are in AP Classes
• Team Members Open to Getting More Outside Awards
  • School Awards - 29 21st Century Awards, 21 Subject Area Awards, 5 Outstanding Citizenship Awards, 10 Outstanding Service to the School and Community Awards
  • AV Future Leaders - Salonee Darbari